Lives of the Great 20th-Century Artists [Hardcover]

Edward Lucie-Smith (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Just to thumb through Edward Lucie-Smith's Lives of the Great 20th Century Artists is to be overwhelmed by the vibrancy and range of styles, eras, and personalities that have shaped artistic and cultural perception throughout the last hundred years. Arguing that "twentieth-century artworks cannot be understood fully in total isolation," Lucie-Smith includes in each biography not only some sumptuous reproductions but also photographs of his subjects at work, at play, posing as the Next Big Thing (Salvador Dalí, 1937) or caught off-guard in relaxed mode (Naum Gabo with his wife in the south of France, 1920s). A pictorial biography divided into an impressive array of sections, the book concentrates on every essential movement, from fauvism, which heralded the birth of modernism, through the varied forms of European expressionism and American abstract expressionism, to British pop art. In two of the most effective chapters, the artists of pre- and post-revolutionary Russia are studied in detail, and an unclassifiable but impressive array of artists, such as Yves Klein, Louise Bourgeois, and Jean-Michel Basquiat--who "represent new approaches to the problems of making art"--are explored. This is a fascinating record of some of the most arresting visual images of the last century, and an intimate study of some of art's greatest proponents. --Catherine Taylor, Amazon.co.uk

From Library Journal

In this quick, informative reference source, prolific art historian Lucie-Smith (see Women and Art, above) offers a brief but authoritative look into the lives of 100 world-renowned artists and an eclectic cast of celebrities who have influenced the cultural landscape of the modern era. Chronologically divided into 24 chapters, the volume is beautifully illustrated with representative works and photos of the artists. Each section highlights the most influential artists of a specific period or movement, e.g., the Fauves, Cubism, Bauhaus, Abstract Expressionism, and American Pop Art. The last chapter, on the "artist, not the artwork," considers individuals whose lives and work are uniquely intertwined, such as Louise Bourgeois, Joseph Beuys, Yves Klein, Eva Hesse, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. This art volume gives greater depth of information on a more select group of artists than The 20th-Century Art Book (LJ 2/1/97) and is highly recommended for all types of libraries.AStephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Libs., Johnson City
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; 2nd edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500237395
• ISBN-13: 978-0500237397
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #344,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars where's Andy Wyeth?, July 7, 2000

By	Christine Menendez (St. Andreu de Llavaneres, Barcelona Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lives of the Great 20th-Century Artists (Hardcover)

I would have given the book five stars if, after having read through the entire book and encountered several rather obscure artists with whom I am not familiar, I had not suddenly realised that Andrew Wyeth was not even mentioned in the book. Why? He most certainly is twentieth century, and most certainly is an artist. Not even an obscure one. Bad enough that NC Wyeth only considered himself an illustrator of books and not a real artist; it is certainly reprehensible that his son, one of the greatest painters of any century, should be left out of a book which purports to chronicle the lives of the great twentieth century artists. This happens to be a very good book, a good overview of the various movements in art during the last century, but it has rather pointedly ignored a very fine and important artist whose enormous body of work should be at least be mentioned. And I won't even mention poor Norman Rockwell, who chronicled every day life in his own century much as the great artists of the past painted what was prosaic to them and very exotic to us. Maxfield Parrish was also ignored in this book. Not an artist, I guess, just an illustrator with the greatest understanding of light since Rembrandt. Oh, well. I feel much about this book as I do about "Great Poetry" collections which always manage to leave out that which I love the most. Everything, I guess, is a matter of opinion. If you know absolutely nothing about twentieth century art, this book will certainly give you a good introduction to the various artists and important movements. Perhaps the writer, Edward Lucie Smith, should have considered two or three volumes, in order to more completely cover this subject.

5.0 out of 5 stars pleasantly surprised..., September 18, 2009

By	arugula - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lives of the Great 20th-Century Artists (Hardcover)

...at the excellent condition this book arrived in. It's a beautiful book with lots of great info, too.

3 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is this a second edition?, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lives of the Great 20th-Century Artists (Hardcover)

How does this book differ from the book published by Rizzoli in 1986 titled Lives of the GreatTwentieth Century Artists.? I find it interesting that this is not marketed as a second or revised edition.